SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - Jan 7, 2013) - Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ ATOS ]), The Breast Health Company™, announced today that Kyle Guse, 49, has joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and Secretary. Mr. Guse brings more than 20 years of experience advising companies on public offerings, private financing, mergers and acquisitions, commercialization transactions and other corporate matters. He has completed in excess of 100 financings and other transactions totaling more than $1 billion with many life sciences and other innovative and fast growing companies.

Mr. Guse is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and lawyer. During the past year, he practiced law as a partner in the Silicon Valley office of Baker Botts LLP. From 2007 to 2012, he was a partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP. From 1995 to 2007, Mr. Guse practiced law at Heller Ehrman LLP. He began his career in 1987 at Deloitte & Touche. Mr. Guse holds a BS in Business Administration and MBA from California State University, Sacramento, and a Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of Law. 

Dr. Steven C. Quay, Chairman, CEO and President, stated, "Kyle Guse is joining Atossa at a pivotal time as we accelerate the national roll-out of our [ ForeCYTE ] and [ ArgusCYTE ] Breast Health Tests and complete the development of additional tests and services. We are thrilled to have someone with Mr. Guse's financial and legal experience join us as we roll out our patented, FDA-cleared breast health products and services across the U.S."

Dr. Quay continued, "I would like to thank Chris Benjamin for his service as our interim Chief Financial Officer, including his assistance in successfully bringing us through the IPO process."

"This is a very exciting opportunity to join an emerging molecular diagnostics company focused exclusively on breast health that has developed and is selling innovative products and services," commented Mr. Guse. "I look forward to working with the Atossa team and the Board of Directors on financial strategy and execution so that Atossa can continue to commercialize its unique portfolio of products and services."

On January 4, 2013, Mr. Guse was awarded options to purchase a total of 500,000 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, 95,000 of which were granted under the Company's 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and 405,000 of which were granted outside the plan. The stock options have an exercise price equal to $4.11 per share, the fair market value on the grant date and vest over a four-year period with 25% vesting on his first anniversary and quarterly thereafter. The stock options were granted as an inducement to Mr. Guse's entering into employment with the Company.

For more information, please click the following link to view a video interview with Dr. Quay discussing aspects of this press release in more detail: [ http://client.irwebkit.com/AtossaGenetics/media ]. You may also sign up to receive automatic email News Alert updates there.

About Atossa Genetics, Inc.

Atossa Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: [ ATOS ]), The Breast Health Company™, is based in Seattle, WA, and is focused on preventing breast cancer through the commercialization of patented, FDA-cleared diagnostic medical devices and patented, laboratory developed tests (LDT) that can detect precursors to breast cancer up to eight years before mammography, and through research and development that will permit it to commercialize treatments for pre-cancerous lesions.

[ The National Reference Laboratory for Breast Health ] (NRLBH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Atossa Genetics, Inc., is a CLIA-certified high-complexity molecular diagnostic laboratory located in Seattle, WA, that provides the patented ForeCYTE Breast Health Test, a risk assessment test for women 18 to 73 years of age akin to the Pap Smear, and the ArgusCYTE Breast Health Test, a blood test for recurrence in breast cancer survivors that provides a "liquid biopsy" for circulating cancer cells and a tailored treatment plan for patients and their caregivers.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding Atossa's plans, expectations, projections, potential opportunities, goals and objectives are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated or estimated future results, including the risks and uncertainties associated with the efficacy of Atossa's products and services, the market demand for and acceptance of Atossa's products and services and other risks detailed from time to time in Atossa's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its final prospectus dated November 7, 2012 and filed with the SEC November 9, 2012. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Atossa undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.